My daughter cleaned out her wardrobe and tossed a BIG stack of T-shirts - too daggy, no longer her style, stained, etc. Thrift shops here are INNUNDATED and won't take them, but I hated throwing them to landfill and I have more than enough cleaning cloths so I cut them up and gave them to our lovely local mechanics who have always treated us fairly. Oil cloths, cleaning cloths - they use lots! They really appreciated it and I was happy that it would get another use before going to landfill. Some of the pure cotton ones were chopped up and added to the compost pile. I hate throwing stuff away that can still be useful!
It was a real win/win as they have to buy rags - that's where a lot of donated clothes end up, after being shipped overseas to take advantage of cheap labour to cut them up only to be shipped back for sale in the big hardware chains! I was sad to cut them up, did it while watching TV, glad I cut out the excessive middleman process. Cheers from Oz!@@debbiekoortzen1154
You can also make them into reusable bags for groceries. There are patterns all over the Internet, but the easiest way is to clip off/ tuck in the sleeves and stitch a seam, stitch the bottom together, cut the collar partially then stitch for handles. With more and more stores not using plastic bags, it's a cheap, and truly WASHABLE grocery bag.
@@Mandola-Jane 😸 A couple of my cats lost the "toys" under the refrigerator or stove, but one cat went for the extreme extended play down the stairs and into the laundry room. The "gotaways" made it under the washing machine or dryer.
I use a repurposed jar, and a repurposed wine gift bag, to make a bouquet using an inexpensive bunch of flowers from the grocery store. I cut the bag down to the jar height. Makes a much nicer gift than a bunch of flowers they have to find a vase for.
Empty plastic food containers. I use in freezer to freeze food purchased in bulk or soups or stews or meats. I use them to discard stinky or messy garbage. They can be used by toddlers to stack into towers to knock down. Store cut onions (or any prepped veggie) in glass container in fridge. Send leftovers home with guests after a meal or from a potluck gathering.
I love the button earring idea. I'm always putting them in my pocket in a hurry and losing them! Since I sew, I thought about making a soap bag. I love the refill idea on the tissue box as well. Such clever ideas!
Do you know someone with CPAP equipment? They regularly have long flexible hoses they need to replace. You can take those, slice them on one side, cut off to length and now you have a way to corral your miscellaneous computer cords/tv cords. Then you can velcro those discreetly to the back of the tv stand or computer desk so they are out of the way. These hoses are fairly large in diameter and heat proof so work very well for these cords.
Cardboard tubes are useful for winding Christmas lights or other wires while storing them. If you make a small nick in the top and bottom of the tube, you can anchor each end.
The vitamin bottles are reused in my toolbox, they are used to put screws, nuts, nails ect in that have specific uses. Some i put instant coffee in for hiking/camping ect. Im sure the coffee sachets you buy in this country have gotten weaker recently (or im just drinking more coffee) so I've gone the cheaper route. The old clothes have lots of uses from cleaning leather boots to making bandanas for outdoor use. The yoghurt type pots are used for gardening. The big fabric softener type bottles, if you drill small holes in the top of the lid they can be used as a makeshift watering can. You can also use the cardboard egg boxes with the dryer lint and wax to make fire starters.
I only buy the square box of tissues because it fits perfectly between the spindles on my headboard. Don’t have room on my nightstand. Now I know to buy the longer tissue boxes and fold those tissues in half to refill my square box and save money. Thanks for that great tip!
As a grandma and former teacher, most containers have a use for kids: trays from mushrooms etc. hold crayons and small treasures, plastic containers are great for painting, egg cartons make good fine motor containers for babies just starting with small snacks. Final egg carton hack is to use them for math-cut into 5 and 10 strips(frames), use any small items to add/substract.
I’ve been cutting open my seemingly empty toothpaste tubes for years. I discovered it by accident when I was flat broke & couldn’t afford to buy a new tube till payday, 3 days away! I cut the tube & had enough to last a week! Also, bread bags make the best bags for picking up dog poop! They’re thicker than your average supermarket plastic shopping bag.
I use the ends of bread when I make French toast. When my soap gets small, I add it to a new bar. Normally they stick together after a few uses. Been doing it for years. Loved the tissue idea. If you're crafty at all, make a nice, plastic canvas cover. Then you don't have to worry about taping the box back together. You could probably also use a bit of Velcro.
The lids from Parmesan cheese containers ( the green ones )fit perfectly on regular mouth mason jars. You can turn a pint size or half pint size mason jar into a spice jar…
Classico is our favorite pasta sauce and we have collected them over the years. They are actually canning jars and I have canned my own pasta sauce in them as well as other vegetables. They are pint-and-a-half jars that you can't even buy for home canning and are the perfect size for our family.
I love the bread end toasted - so crunchy and satisfying. Bread ends also make really good croutons for salad. I cube them up, toss with garlic powder and all-purpose seasoning or herbs, toss and drizzle some oil and stick them in the oven when it's on for cooking something else. So delicious I can eat them just off the baking sheet! Cheers from sweltering Sydney Sara!
In our local charity thrift shop they have a box stuffed with gift bags. I use soda bottle tops to press into the bottom soap bars to help the bar to dry after use and not sit in as soapy mess.
I do the same thing! Thanks for validating what some think is kind of strange. But I can always find something in the freezer to add flavor to a meal from something that I used to throw away.
Great video, Sara! We learned to use lint as a fire starter in Boy Scouts - what a revelation! I'm a firm believer in reusing things - my grandparents grew up in the Depression, so the tips were handed down.
I use the dog food bags to pick up waste in the yard. Cut the corners off of old envelopes to make book marks- slide over a couple page corners. Bread tags can be good for cleaning mud out of the crevices of shoe bottoms.
I'm using large plastic vitamin bottles for seeds I saved from my garden. Especially the ones I haven't cleaned from the flowers as they are bulky. But to plant I can just crumble them over the soil. Less work and time.
We used to remove the neck, sleeves from mens under t-shirts then cut them into two pieces so we would have nice cotton cloths. These are handy for spills or in doing staining, anything where you aren't certain you're going to keep the cloth or stain treat it if you do. I decided to cut off the elastic and crotch off ladies underwear to repurpose the fabric for same uses. It works great to clean up messes you would normally throw the cloth away (ie painting or using other chemicals, or when you have to clean up after an animal. The shape fits nicely into an empty rectangle kleenix box so you now have a rag dispenser. No one would know that they once were ladies underpants!
I do all of these, I think. 🤔 And you are SO right about using these items. That trick with the toothpaste tube? The same idea works for shampoo & lotion bottles & OTC medications --like muscle rubs, bug repellent, sunscreen, etc. I just started a couple weeks back with stuffing lint in tp tubes. Got a dozen so far & will be putting them in my camp trailer. Love your channel ~ ❤
Didn't know about the tissue boxes. Always use leftover bags to pick up Dogs stuff when out on walks or in my backyard. Thank you for tips. Also if you fold over sides of rectangular Kleenex boxes they are great sorting containers. Just cut top at an angle to each corner and fold each side down inside the box and staple each side and end.
I've been saving scraps of wool (leftovers from weaving in ends on my knitting) to use as stuffing for a plush toy I plan to knit. Small leftover balls of yarn can be cute "bowl filler" decor, or displayed under a glass cloche. I used reds and pinks around Valentine's Day for example. 😊
You can also use bread ends when stufffing a chicken or turkey. You block the open part with them to keep the stuffing from falling out while cooking. And the bonus part is that when the poultry is done, you have some nice toasted bread pieces which are quite tasty from the poultry juices and stuffing flavours. PS here in Newfoundland, Canada - we refer to stuffing as "dressing" and use savoury as the main seasoning in it.
That's a great hack for the tissue boxes! I much prefer the smaller ones because they take up less surface space--but the bigger boxes are less expensive. I'm going to start doing this.
My family thinks its funny that I don't throw away much. i learned at an early age that I needed to be creative with things that I could find. It helped me when I began my career teaching 1sr grade I reuse to this day (now retired). I learned a few thiings like the button for earrings. Thanks for your videos!
We live in the country where the closest grocery store is four miles away. It's the only one for 20 miles. We often have power outages when tornado season hits. I use milk jugs and juice/soda bottles to store water inside my freezers. Not only do they help to keep the food cold, as I can move some of them to the fridge, but they do double duty as sources of potable water.
also, remove the labels (some peel off easily but if not use “Goo Gone”) from the plastic amber prescription medicine containers. Then wash them in hot soapy water. Dry thoroughly and give them to your local veterinarian. I did that and my vet was very appreciative.
Yes and also local animal shelters too! I remove the labels, wash them and get a little collection in a paper bag and then drop off once every couple months.
The sturdy plastic bags cereal comes packaged in is great for tender using meat with a mallet. Or pounding chicken breasts. The plastic is quite strong & holds up better than typical 1 gallon bags.
I don't routinely do this, but the large, wide Styrofoam protection around boxed items (e.g., televisions) can be cut and used in lieu of floral foam blocks for making vases of silk flowers (such as to display on cemetery plots where they will be exposed to the elements and get dirty, anyway). EDIT: Once I tried this because I ran out of foam blocks, I've been cutting Styrofoam ever since and prefer it over the green foam because it isn't as messy when trimmed to size. 😸 I just checked the prices for the foam blocks, and they have increased to $3-4 each.
Thank you..I did learn a few tips like the tissue (refill) box is new to me but we use cloth..in my opinion making your own groceries, toothpaste and body products as well as making yogurt and bread is the true money savers ..another thing is those Classico jars can be reused for canning in..learn the old ways because in my opinion we are all going to need to learn from the old ways.
We love the Maman Jam and I keep the spacious jars to store homemade tomato sauce. And I totally keep the remaining bits of old candles. I had enough that I was able to create a whole new candle of baking scents, holiday scents, citrus cents, and a few others. We also have gift bags that we've used for several years. I love the gift card --> gift tag idea (I heard of someone making them into bookmarks). And bread ends! They get turned into crutons, french toast, or we feed the ducks! 😄 Thanks for another great video!
I've heard of some people storing jars not only for 'just in case I need it', but as they are storing the jars, they'll store water in them in case of an emergency. I mean, if you're storing jars anyway, might as well store some water. 🙂@@sjchan3199
@@loriloristuff Both good uses, but I give crushed eggshells (cooked, never raw) to the backyard wild birds. If they don't get enough calcium, their bones will be brittle. (Legs can even snap in half without sufficient calcium.)
Pill bottles: Do you have a piece of furniture that isn't being used efficiently? I have a vanity that has several shallow drawers I didn't have a jewelry box BUT I did have a lot of pill bottles all the same size. So I put chain bracelets, small necklaces, rings, and earrings into their own individual bottle. Now I have organized things, I know what is inside since I can look and it all is using drawers that were just sitting idle. IT also helps to keep my jewelry minimized if I haven't got the space (which is very obvious) I don't need to buy another piece. Or I can easily pack a suit case knowing that my items won't get tangled or lost in transit. This works similarly to putting nails and screws in the bottles just another way to use them that I had never considered until I was shopping for jewelry boxes and was disappointed in what I could find. Now I've got a pat on the back for being clever, using what I already owned/had, and NOT SPENDING MORE MONEY just to contain something!
So many great ideas! The pour jugs in the 1/2 gallon size could be used to store beans and rice to pour into measuring cups. They would store well in pantries.
I use spaghetti jars to put leftovers in. They don't take up as much space as plastic containers and food stays fresher in them! I keep plastic bags that have bread, hamburger buns, and hotdog buns to put extra smelly stuff in before I throw them in the garbage. Those cloth bags that sheets come in make great bags to put small appliances.
Great video, like the idea for the large buttons used to store earrings on. l think i'm a queen at recycling too, l recycle a lot for my veg gardening, but my one advice to anyone is get it organized or it can take time to de-clutter it and ' time is money' too. Here's one iv just saved a lot of money on. l had a beautiful burnt orange jumper l bought a few years , the wool was still good and not faded but the garment had really stretched as l wore it it so much , now to big wear it any more,even around the house. l checked it had stitched seams ( not over-locked seams) so it could be unpicked. The beautiful soft wool could now be recycled. Iv made a granny patch crochet single size blanket matched with other saved wool with crochet acorns & leaves edging, ( hand crochet blankets can sell for £100 but this ones for me ) a granny patch hot water bottle cover, a hair band for makeup, a fall colour kitchen hot pad, a small decor crochet pumpkin filled with the discarded wool ends & one of the sleeves sewn & made into a door draught excluder, All made over the cold winter nights watching tv. How's that for recycling :)
I've already been using these item's for many year's, The old saying waste not want not, Is one of the truest statements ever made. I've done it because I lived in poverty as a child my parents were already doing it. My mom used bread bag's to freeze meat and poultry. We used jars for glasses. Plastic containers with lids for left overs and so on. Thank you for sharing! New sub. Many Blessings To You And Your Family, Stay Safe And Well Elle On husband's account ❤
And one additional idea, folks: Keep your stash organized! That way when you need that toilet paper core, pill bottle or want to repurpose a plastic bag you have a dedicated place to store them. Then use the container method so you do not exceed your storage space. A handy thing to repurpose those cheaply made grocery bags you likely are drowning in. Set up a row of hooks in the back of a closet and when you randomly have one of these, make a point of putting it in its home. That way your recycling doesn't clutter up the home and you are more organized when in a moment of need. I repurposed kitty litter boxes (I removed the top so the handle can be used to pull it off the shelf) for several of these things and it sits discreetly in the pantry waiting to be filled. When I have too many I advertise them online around September when folks are making their Halloween costumes and would appreciate a large amount of these sort of items. Keep in touch with your local elementary school so they can count on you for these items too. Remember they want shoe boxes in February so save your extras and let them know! If you keep your stash to a useable minimum and recirculate the excess you are also delaying it finding its way into the landfill.
Thanks for the Kitti litter container tip. I was wondering what I was going to do with them. As a once again kitten mom, those containers add up. I was holding on to the 2 empty ones trying to figure out to reuse. Or send to the recycling bin.
I used to open up those tissue boxes and put in a roll of toilet paper with the cardboard inside removed. I would pull up a little of the toiletbpaper from the insidecand stick it through the hole and use that instead of tissues. It is much cheaper. Now, though I have graduated to no paper products, instead I cut up tshirts for family cloths, napkins, rags, etc.
I keep a Walmart grocery bag on or near my kitchen garbage can & take the smaller bag to the big can outside as I fill it. As a result, my big garbage bag isn’t smelly & I use up those plastic grocery bags. I only have to buy the box of big garbage bags a few times a year. I store jewelry in empty medicine bottles when traveling. I transfer shower gel or body wash to a Dawn EZ squeeze bottle I use a squeezer to make sure I get as much of the toothpaste out as possible. When the squeezer gets near the top and stops squeezing, I take the squeezer out & squeeze the rest out manually. There are usually a few days of product left in toothpaste & lotion tubes.
I reuse my bath & bodyworks bottles. I buy shampoo, etc in large family size bottles & transfer them into the smaller bottles so they will fit on the shower caddy. I started cutting open my toothpaste, lotion tubes & was able to get about a weeks worth out of them. 😀
i do the same thing........been doing that for years, if they have a hole in them i mend them with plastic sticky labels or name tags i do not want or like.....the design of.....they are also good to put pet waste in........when as full as you can stand it toss......
Yes! Great ideas. Butter wrappers need to be saved in a zip lock or tote so the butter doesn't go bad. Something our family does. *Button idea!!!#1 idea! Never thought of that. Love it. Our family uses cloth woven placemats hook earrings through hooks or studded earrings.. roll and tie a ribbon around for traveling, unroll and hang with tacks or lay out on the dresser. Keep up the great ideas. 😊March 8th 2024
Thank you for sharing and helping the Earth!! And wallets! ♥️ I’m a long-time re-user. You shared great tips. You can also soak some soap slivers in a large lidded jug and make outdoor plant spray ( with a re-used sprayer🤓) for bugs, for instance: roses. Onion bags: I stuff 1 into a section of the dishwasher’s tableware caddy to keep smaller things from going through the holes, like: chopsticks. They also can be used as scrubbers for dishes. Cut the use of paper towels (I love trees) by using a balled-up plastic shopping bag to wash/ gently scrub your sink or get grease out of a skillet. Recycling as many as possible helps the earth. Let’s face it, into every life a shopping bag comes home at some point, even if we carry re-usables. T-shirts can be made into shopping bags. Many tutorials are on TH-cam.🤓 I’m a jar-a-holic and store leftovers in wider-mouth jars such as salsa jars, in the fridge and freezer. If the food is from a metal can, cut the label off and use a rubber band to wrap the label around the jar, *leave some food-expansion space and you have an identified frozen food for another time. Watch Trash to Treasure videos- there’s loads of ideas.♥️
A relative did many of the things you mentioned. Her house was a cluttered mess with cabinets full of plastic yogurt, butter, etc. containers, a gross drawer with crumbs, and a full of bread bags and tags. Dozens of empty tissue boxes piled up in a corner in a bedroom, an old ice cream bucket filled with years of soap sliver all dirty and dusty in the bathroom. Just plain gross. It's called hoarding.
Yes make t shirt quilts. Use the rest of the tshirts for rags Those prescription medication bottles are awesome for storing things especially for traveling
My mother-in-law inspired me to collect a set of matching small canisters for bulk tea, bulk bought nuts, and raisins/dates by enjoying my favorite refrigerated and sold in the produce section blue cheese dressing. Love it's straight sides and screw on lids. I need 3 when I open the lowest by the ounce price walnuts I eat most days on my oatmeal, 1 for the cooking center, 2 in the pantry, buy next bag of refill nuts on my next weekly shopping trip..
Great tips!! Similar to cutting open the toothpaste tube, I always cut open the lotion tubes such as Bath and Body Works Body Cream. There is probably 1/5 of the lotion left in there that will not come out by squeezing. Then I keep it in a Zip Lock, or bread bag, to keep the lotion nice and moist. Great video as always!!
I re-use paper towel that has been used to mop up counter after I wash dishes. It's only soap and water. So I dry them on top of dishes which are draining and reuse. I re use the bags from bread and paper towel and toilet paper. Re use jars, gift bags etc. The tip on ends of soap bars was very cool. 😊
Great ideas! Here are some more. Toilet paper tubes are great for keeping long electric cords tidy. Fold the cords and tuck them in. Glass jars and lids are great for gifts. Even canning. If they reseal there are good. If not refrigerate. Two liter soda bottles are very versatile. Bird feeders, garden watering systems. A nylon stocking foot also works great for soap slivers. You know when there's a runner on the other side and you don't have a match. Cut it off above the ankle, put the soap in and just tie off the top. Gallon milk jugs with handle intact and cut the spout and part of the front out. It works for under sink storage or small toys. Odd socks can become puppets, or rice socks. My favorite newest hack from My Frugal Home is making dish scrubbies from plastic mesh bags, like those used to wrap frozen turkeys or fruits.
The toothpaste and other items in similar tubes cab be scraped out and put in those small jars like baby food jars or those gift jam jars. To put in travel bags, at your desk at work, purse, etc. Medicine pottles = travel or purse sewi g kit, 1st aide kit.
Thanks Frozen Pennies! Glad to know I am not alone in my reusing, use it up and repurposing ideas! I can't toss anything without thinking, could this come in handy again? My parents didn't preach these habits silently role modeled. 😊😊😊
If you’re one of those nice people who participate in Operation Christmas Child by filling shoeboxes with small gifts for children overseas, let your friends know that you need empty boxes. Then when they buy new shoes, they will save the boxes for you to use. My daughter has filled from 47 to 75 boxed the last few years.
I grew up saving all sorts of containers and plastic bags and foil. My husband says he grew up poor, but never heard of saving any of these things and reusing them. It drives him nuts when I do this.
It doesn't just save money, it's environmentally friendly! To add to the glass jar ideas, some are actual Mason jars, so you can add them to your canning jars (if you can food)
When my kids were little I used old medicine bottles for pins and needles and other small or sharp things in my sewing basket. My kids were not allowed in my sewing basket but if they did get into it they were less likely to get hurt.
Some good ideas. The only thing, solid soap bars can harbour bacteria so I'd be careful reusing them. The toilet roll/ lint trick works well for my log burner 😊 Swap parties for 2nd hand clothes are fun, environmentally friendly, and you can get a new outfit for nothing 😅
I use free Styrofoam for stamping and dry flower arrangements. It's good for all kinds of crafts. Free bubble wrap is good for crafts, too. Tina, Al's wife
for myself, clothes that are in good condition are getting donated, clothes that are on ok condition become rags, and clothes in awful condition become dog beds.
My mom always makes food for my uncle and he would lose our tuperware so we started giving him food in yogurt and sour cream containers. No need to ask for it back!
Experienced quilter here. Quilting is usually an expensive hobby. Memorabilia quilts out of knit fabrics like sweatshirts and t-shirts for the top layer require a layer of stabilizer which is not cheap. Neither is the batting that goes in the middle layer of the quilt. Yardage of backing fabric (the bottom layer) is also pricey. This is not at all a money saving activity unless you already have the supplies for those layers on hand that are leftover from previous projects.
I make "summer" quilts, which have no batting. I use old but still very good sheets I buy from thrift stores for backing- and it's already a good size, and the edges are finished. I only buy fabric for toppers on deep discount. And I don't sell my quilts. I give them as gifts. I tend to use layers of fabric instead of traditional patterns, which can add to the thickness. It all depends on how a person wants to do their quilting.
I agree of the cost, which put me off when trying a "new" project. I recently made 2 rag quilts for a great niece and was happy to find flannel at a reasonable price. I even got great grandfather in the quilt, making (snipping) so he can proudly say he made it!
My daughter cleaned out her wardrobe and tossed a BIG stack of T-shirts - too daggy, no longer her style, stained, etc. Thrift shops here are INNUNDATED and won't take them, but I hated throwing them to landfill and I have more than enough cleaning cloths so I cut them up and gave them to our lovely local mechanics who have always treated us fairly. Oil cloths, cleaning cloths - they use lots! They really appreciated it and I was happy that it would get another use before going to landfill. Some of the pure cotton ones were chopped up and added to the compost pile. I hate throwing stuff away that can still be useful!
That is a brilliant idea, I would never have thought about that one. ❤
It was a real win/win as they have to buy rags - that's where a lot of donated clothes end up, after being shipped overseas to take advantage of cheap labour to cut them up only to be shipped back for sale in the big hardware chains! I was sad to cut them up, did it while watching TV, glad I cut out the excessive middleman process. Cheers from Oz!@@debbiekoortzen1154
What a great idea! My sister in law used to get rag clothes from her thrift shop and cut them up for rags for her mechanic husband. 👍
You can also make them into reusable bags for groceries. There are patterns all over the Internet, but the easiest way is to clip off/ tuck in the sleeves and stitch a seam, stitch the bottom together, cut the collar partially then stitch for handles. With more and more stores not using plastic bags, it's a cheap, and truly WASHABLE grocery bag.
@@loriloristuffv
Reusing and recycling is great as long as it doesn't get into hoarding. Repurposing is a lot of fun.
Yes, clutter can be deadly to our emotions.
The white plastic rings off of frozen orange juice, grape juice, etc. cans apparently make one of the best cat toys! 😸
They do indeed! We had to move the fridge one day and realised IT was our “Bermuda Triangle” where the majority of those rings had vanished to 😹
@@Mandola-Jane
😸 A couple of my cats lost the "toys" under the refrigerator or stove, but one cat went for the extreme extended play down the stairs and into the laundry room. The "gotaways" made it under the washing machine or dryer.
@@zac1375 That’s hilarious! 😹
@@Mandola-Jane
One "you won't get away this time" play session was held in the bathtub. 😸
@@zac1375 bwaaahahaa. They are so clever.
I use a repurposed jar, and a repurposed wine gift bag, to make a bouquet using an inexpensive bunch of flowers from the grocery store. I cut the bag down to the jar height. Makes a much nicer gift than a bunch of flowers they have to find a vase for.
What else can glass jars be used for?
Empty plastic food containers. I use in freezer to freeze food purchased in bulk or soups or stews or meats. I use them to discard stinky or messy garbage. They can be used by toddlers to stack into towers to knock down. Store cut onions (or any prepped veggie) in glass container in fridge.
Send leftovers home with guests after a meal or from a potluck gathering.
Butter wrappers work for buttering corn-on-the-cob.
Or greasing loaf and cake tins or even greasing slow cookers
Take a slice of bread, butter it and use it to butter your corn on the cob! Very easy now!
I use the foil lids from cottage cheese or yogurt to cover leftover canned food. Just secure with a rubber band.
Now THAT'S being thrifty. I love this idea. Diane
I love the button earring idea. I'm always putting them in my pocket in a hurry and losing them! Since I sew, I thought about making a soap bag. I love the refill idea on the tissue box as well. Such clever ideas!
The Tightwad Gazette - book that is a compilation of all the issues/newsletter has a ton of ideas, too!
Do you know someone with CPAP equipment? They regularly have long flexible hoses they need to replace. You can take those, slice them on one side, cut off to length and now you have a way to corral your miscellaneous computer cords/tv cords. Then you can velcro those discreetly to the back of the tv stand or computer desk so they are out of the way. These hoses are fairly large in diameter and heat proof so work very well for these cords.
Cardboard tubes are useful for winding Christmas lights or other wires while storing them. If you make a small nick in the top and bottom of the tube, you can anchor each end.
Toilet paper rolls can be used to start 🌽 indoors. Vegetables that don't do well when transplanted can be planted in their "rolls".
Dry soap slivers are great to use as a fabric marker during sewing. The soap "ink" washes off after you've sewn & washed the garment.
The vitamin bottles are reused in my toolbox, they are used to put screws, nuts, nails ect in that have specific uses. Some i put instant coffee in for hiking/camping ect. Im sure the coffee sachets you buy in this country have gotten weaker recently (or im just drinking more coffee) so I've gone the cheaper route. The old clothes have lots of uses from cleaning leather boots to making bandanas for outdoor use. The yoghurt type pots are used for gardening. The big fabric softener type bottles, if you drill small holes in the top of the lid they can be used as a makeshift watering can. You can also use the cardboard egg boxes with the dryer lint and wax to make fire starters.
Yes, bottles for screws, etc., as well as paper clips and needles!
I use the very large pill bottles to keep really big sewing needles in. It has saved me getting wounded! 😊
I only buy the square box of tissues because it fits perfectly between the spindles on my headboard. Don’t have room on my nightstand. Now I know to buy the longer tissue boxes and fold those tissues in half to refill my square box and save money. Thanks for that great tip!
Hey Gloria 🌹, ❤️❤❤ good day to you. How are you doing ?
As a grandma and former teacher, most containers have a use for kids: trays from mushrooms etc. hold crayons and small treasures, plastic containers are great for painting, egg cartons make good fine motor containers for babies just starting with small snacks. Final egg carton hack is to use them for math-cut into 5 and 10 strips(frames), use any small items to add/substract.
Use the tissues boxes to put your plastic bags in.
Also place a rubberband around an empty box to a new box! You then have a handy mini trash for your used tissues!! ❤️😀
I’ve been cutting open my seemingly empty toothpaste tubes for years. I discovered it by accident when I was flat broke & couldn’t afford to buy a new tube till payday, 3 days away! I cut the tube & had enough to last a week!
Also, bread bags make the best bags for picking up dog poop! They’re thicker than your average supermarket plastic shopping bag.
I use the ends of bread when I make French toast.
When my soap gets small, I add it to a new bar. Normally they stick together after a few uses. Been doing it for years.
Loved the tissue idea. If you're crafty at all, make a nice, plastic canvas cover. Then you don't have to worry about taping the box back together. You could probably also use a bit of Velcro.
The lids from Parmesan cheese containers ( the green ones )fit perfectly on regular mouth mason jars. You can turn a pint size or half pint size mason jar into a spice jar…
I never thought of that. Great idea!
So do Duke's mayonnaise lids, and Aldi coconut oil jars and lids are both universal.
Classico is our favorite pasta sauce and we have collected them over the years. They are actually canning jars and I have canned my own pasta sauce in them as well as other vegetables. They are pint-and-a-half jars that you can't even buy for home canning and are the perfect size for our family.
The Button idea and Kleenex box ideas were new to me. Thanks so much
I love the bread end toasted - so crunchy and satisfying. Bread ends also make really good croutons for salad. I cube them up, toss with garlic powder and all-purpose seasoning or herbs, toss and drizzle some oil and stick them in the oven when it's on for cooking something else. So delicious I can eat them just off the baking sheet! Cheers from sweltering Sydney Sara!
In our local charity thrift shop they have a box stuffed with gift bags. I use soda bottle tops to press into the bottom soap bars to help the bar to dry after use and not sit in as soapy mess.
Interesting! I've never heard that one: bottle caps into soap bars. Great idea!
It also aows the soap to dry out and last ot longer.@@debkincaid2891
I bought a pair of tiny spatulas for scraping out leftover creams and lotions (and toothpaste) from Amazon.👍
I reuse the glass jars to put broth/drippings in and freeze until needed for making homemade soup and casseroles.
I do the same thing! Thanks for validating what some think is kind of strange. But I can always find something in the freezer to add flavor to a meal from something that I used to throw away.
@@nancypatricia511 Hey Nancy 🌹❤❤❤, good Day to you. How are you doing ?
Great video, Sara! We learned to use lint as a fire starter in Boy Scouts - what a revelation! I'm a firm believer in reusing things - my grandparents grew up in the Depression, so the tips were handed down.
I use the dog food bags to pick up waste in the yard.
Cut the corners off of old envelopes to make book marks- slide over a couple page corners.
Bread tags can be good for cleaning mud out of the crevices of shoe bottoms.
I'm using large plastic vitamin bottles for seeds I saved from my garden. Especially the ones I haven't cleaned from the flowers as they are bulky. But to plant I can just crumble them over the soil. Less work and time.
Bread tye can go on the end of tape and you will always find the end and it’s easy to put back on. It has to be any size you want!
We used to remove the neck, sleeves from mens under t-shirts then cut them into two pieces so we would have nice cotton cloths. These are handy for spills or in doing staining, anything where you aren't certain you're going to keep the cloth or stain treat it if you do. I decided to cut off the elastic and crotch off ladies underwear to repurpose the fabric for same uses. It works great to clean up messes you would normally throw the cloth away (ie painting or using other chemicals, or when you have to clean up after an animal. The shape fits nicely into an empty rectangle kleenix box so you now have a rag dispenser. No one would know that they once were ladies underpants!
Great tips. I put matches in empty jars to keep them dry. I cut out the scratching part and put it in there, too.
Prescription bottles for matches or small sewing kits travel well.
I do all of these, I think. 🤔 And you are SO right about using these items. That trick with the toothpaste tube? The same idea works for shampoo & lotion bottles & OTC medications --like muscle rubs, bug repellent, sunscreen, etc. I just started a couple weeks back with stuffing lint in tp tubes. Got a dozen so far & will be putting them in my camp trailer. Love your channel ~ ❤
Didn't know about the tissue boxes. Always use leftover bags to pick up Dogs stuff when out on walks or in my backyard. Thank you for tips. Also if you fold over sides of rectangular Kleenex boxes they are great sorting containers. Just cut top at an angle to each corner and fold each side down inside the box and staple each side and end.
The tissue box tip is amazing! My mind is blown..as someone with serious allergies this is my next frugal hack moving forward❤️
I've been saving scraps of wool (leftovers from weaving in ends on my knitting) to use as stuffing for a plush toy I plan to knit.
Small leftover balls of yarn can be cute "bowl filler" decor, or displayed under a glass cloche. I used reds and pinks around Valentine's Day for example. 😊
I grind my soap slivers up and use them as laundry detergent
How much do you use?
I just sprinkle a little in while my washer is filling up
Side note: I love your background decoration, the plants, and wall art looks great,
But I’m in love with the crochet blanket on the chair.😊
Oh thank you! The green one was a thrift find. I have another brown one that I switch out sometimes that was made by my great aunt!
You can also use bread ends when stufffing a chicken or turkey. You block the open part with them to keep the stuffing from falling out while cooking. And the bonus part is that when the poultry is done, you have some nice toasted bread pieces which are quite tasty from the poultry juices and stuffing flavours. PS here in Newfoundland, Canada - we refer to stuffing as "dressing" and use savoury as the main seasoning in it.
That's a great hack for the tissue boxes! I much prefer the smaller ones because they take up less surface space--but the bigger boxes are less expensive. I'm going to start doing this.
My family thinks its funny that I don't throw away much. i learned at an early age that I needed to be creative with things that I could find. It helped me when I began my career teaching 1sr grade I reuse to this day (now retired). I learned a few thiings like the button for earrings. Thanks for your videos!
she has a lot of ideas, and it must take time to think of all those uses for throwaways. thanks
We live in the country where the closest grocery store is four miles away. It's the only one for 20 miles. We often have power outages when tornado season hits. I use milk jugs and juice/soda bottles to store water inside my freezers. Not only do they help to keep the food cold, as I can move some of them to the fridge, but they do double duty as sources of potable water.
also, remove the labels (some peel off easily but if not use “Goo Gone”) from the plastic amber prescription medicine containers. Then wash them in hot soapy water. Dry thoroughly and give them to your local veterinarian. I did that and my vet was very appreciative.
? But vets use blue prescription bottles. 🙀
Yes and also local animal shelters too! I remove the labels, wash them and get a little collection in a paper bag and then drop off once every couple months.
@@Megan9689
How do shelters use the bottles?
@@Megan9689how do they use the bottles?
@@zac1375 mine doesn’t and several others that i know don’t.
You my Dear, are amazing! Thank You👏👏
The sturdy plastic bags cereal comes packaged in is great for tender using meat with a mallet. Or pounding chicken breasts. The plastic is quite strong & holds up better than typical 1 gallon bags.
I cut scraps fabrics (while watching tv) in very small pieces ans It will serve for stuffing for pillow, teddy bears... I cut the tube of tooth paste
I don't routinely do this, but the large, wide Styrofoam protection around boxed items (e.g., televisions) can be cut and used in lieu of floral foam blocks for making vases of silk flowers (such as to display on cemetery plots where they will be exposed to the elements and get dirty, anyway).
EDIT: Once I tried this because I ran out of foam blocks, I've been cutting Styrofoam ever since and prefer it over the green foam because it isn't as messy when trimmed to size. 😸
I just checked the prices for the foam blocks, and they have increased to $3-4 each.
Thank you..I did learn a few tips like the tissue (refill) box is new to me but we use cloth..in my opinion making your own groceries, toothpaste and body products as well as making yogurt and bread is the true money savers ..another thing is those Classico jars can be reused for canning in..learn the old ways because in my opinion we are all going to need to learn from the old ways.
We love the Maman Jam and I keep the spacious jars to store homemade tomato sauce. And I totally keep the remaining bits of old candles. I had enough that I was able to create a whole new candle of baking scents, holiday scents, citrus cents, and a few others. We also have gift bags that we've used for several years. I love the gift card --> gift tag idea (I heard of someone making them into bookmarks). And bread ends! They get turned into crutons, french toast, or we feed the ducks! 😄 Thanks for another great video!
I use the maman jars as water or drinks glasses
I've heard of some people storing jars not only for 'just in case I need it', but as they are storing the jars, they'll store water in them in case of an emergency. I mean, if you're storing jars anyway, might as well store some water. 🙂@@sjchan3199
Don't forget to give your acid-loving plants (e.g., Azaleas) your used coffee grinds!
I noticed at Starbucks they put out used coffee grounds you can use for your garden! Just in case anyone may need them who isn’t a coffee drinker!
@@amyturner6804
I read grinds can be used as mulch, too. But that doesn't sound very good to me. (Nearby plants could get too much acid.)
Absolutely! I save those for the acidy plants, and grind up eggshells in a coffee grinder to feed plants that need calcium.
@@loriloristuff
Both good uses, but I give crushed eggshells (cooked, never raw) to the backyard wild birds. If they don't get enough calcium, their bones will be brittle. (Legs can even snap in half without sufficient calcium.)
Pill bottles: Do you have a piece of furniture that isn't being used efficiently? I have a vanity that has several shallow drawers I didn't have a jewelry box BUT I did have a lot of pill bottles all the same size. So I put chain bracelets, small necklaces, rings, and earrings into their own individual bottle. Now I have organized things, I know what is inside since I can look and it all is using drawers that were just sitting idle. IT also helps to keep my jewelry minimized if I haven't got the space (which is very obvious) I don't need to buy another piece. Or I can easily pack a suit case knowing that my items won't get tangled or lost in transit. This works similarly to putting nails and screws in the bottles just another way to use them that I had never considered until I was shopping for jewelry boxes and was disappointed in what I could find. Now I've got a pat on the back for being clever, using what I already owned/had, and NOT SPENDING MORE MONEY just to contain something!
You can use a bread tag to help repair a flip flop if the plastic thing between your toes is coming out of the hole.
So many great ideas! The pour jugs in the 1/2 gallon size could be used to store beans and rice to pour into measuring cups. They would store well in pantries.
I’ve been using cut up shirts and old socks for swiffer dry floor cloths. Work really well
I use spaghetti jars to put leftovers in. They don't take up as much space as plastic containers and food stays fresher in them! I keep plastic bags that have bread, hamburger buns, and hotdog buns to put extra smelly stuff in before I throw them in the garbage. Those cloth bags that sheets come in make great bags to put small appliances.
Use your soap sliver in your next load of laundry. Cleans better than detergent.
Great video, like the idea for the large buttons used to store earrings on.
l think i'm a queen at recycling too, l recycle a lot for my veg gardening, but my one advice to anyone is get it organized or it can take time to de-clutter it and ' time is money' too.
Here's one iv just saved a lot of money on. l had a beautiful burnt orange jumper l bought a few years , the wool was still good and not faded but the garment had really stretched as l wore it it so much , now to big wear it any more,even around the house. l checked it had stitched seams ( not over-locked seams) so it could be unpicked. The beautiful soft wool could now be recycled. Iv made a granny patch crochet single size blanket matched with other saved wool with crochet acorns & leaves edging, ( hand crochet blankets can sell for £100 but this ones for me ) a granny patch hot water bottle cover, a hair band for makeup, a fall colour kitchen hot pad, a small decor crochet pumpkin filled with the discarded wool ends & one of the sleeves sewn & made into a door draught excluder, All made over the cold winter nights watching tv. How's that for recycling :)
Love this! Great job!!
I've already been using these item's for many year's, The old saying waste not want not, Is one of the truest statements ever made.
I've done it because I lived in poverty as a child my parents were already doing it.
My mom used bread bag's to freeze meat and poultry.
We used jars for glasses.
Plastic containers with lids for left overs and so on.
Thank you for sharing! New sub.
Many Blessings To You And Your Family, Stay Safe And Well Elle On husband's account ❤
Dryer sheets are good for dusting a car.
And one additional idea, folks: Keep your stash organized! That way when you need that toilet paper core, pill bottle or want to repurpose a plastic bag you have a dedicated place to store them. Then use the container method so you do not exceed your storage space. A handy thing to repurpose those cheaply made grocery bags you likely are drowning in. Set up a row of hooks in the back of a closet and when you randomly have one of these, make a point of putting it in its home. That way your recycling doesn't clutter up the home and you are more organized when in a moment of need. I repurposed kitty litter boxes (I removed the top so the handle can be used to pull it off the shelf) for several of these things and it sits discreetly in the pantry waiting to be filled. When I have too many I advertise them online around September when folks are making their Halloween costumes and would appreciate a large amount of these sort of items. Keep in touch with your local elementary school so they can count on you for these items too. Remember they want shoe boxes in February so save your extras and let them know! If you keep your stash to a useable minimum and recirculate the excess you are also delaying it finding its way into the landfill.
Thanks for the Kitti litter container tip. I was wondering what I was going to do with them. As a once again kitten mom, those containers add up. I was holding on to the 2 empty ones trying to figure out to reuse. Or send to the recycling bin.
I used to open up those tissue boxes and put in a roll of toilet paper with the cardboard inside removed. I would pull up a little of the toiletbpaper from the insidecand stick it through the hole and use that instead of tissues. It is much cheaper. Now, though I have graduated to no paper products, instead I cut up tshirts for family cloths, napkins, rags, etc.
Instead of Tupperware I use Ice Cream Containers or Margarine Tubs if I give someone food. In that way I don't have to worry about getting it back
I keep a Walmart grocery bag on or near my kitchen garbage can & take the smaller bag to the big can outside as I fill it. As a result, my big garbage bag isn’t smelly & I use up those plastic grocery bags. I only have to buy the box of big garbage bags a few times a year.
I store jewelry in empty medicine bottles when traveling.
I transfer shower gel or body wash to a Dawn EZ squeeze bottle
I use a squeezer to make sure I get as much of the toothpaste out as possible. When the squeezer gets near the top and stops squeezing, I take the squeezer out & squeeze the rest out manually. There are usually a few days of product left in toothpaste & lotion tubes.
I reuse my bath & bodyworks bottles. I buy shampoo, etc in large family size bottles & transfer them into the smaller bottles so they will fit on the shower caddy. I started cutting open my toothpaste, lotion tubes & was able to get about a weeks worth out of them. 😀
@@LaManteca76 That’s a good idea. I’ll have to remember that.
i do the same thing........been doing that for years, if they have a hole in them i mend them with plastic sticky labels or name tags i do not want or like.....the design of.....they are also good to put pet waste in........when as full as you can stand it toss......
@@wandatucker3509 I’ll have to remember to tape up holes the next time I get bags w/holes. Tfs❤️
@@wandatucker3509 Oh that's a good idea! I usually toss the ones with holes but I'm gonna try sticky Xmas labels or whatever I can find. 👍
Bread tags are also useful for sticking on the end of a roll of tape to help you find the end
Yes! Great ideas. Butter wrappers need to be saved in a zip lock or tote so the butter doesn't go bad. Something our family does. *Button idea!!!#1 idea! Never thought of that. Love it. Our family uses cloth woven placemats hook earrings through hooks or studded earrings.. roll and tie a ribbon around for traveling, unroll and hang with tacks or lay out on the dresser. Keep up the great ideas. 😊March 8th 2024
I use the bread tags in place of twist ties and rubber bands!
I use glass jars for herbs and spices that I buy in bulk
I store birthday candles in the tall medicine bottles. I cut an x on the bottom of tissue boxes to refill.
Hey Mary Ann ❤❤❤❤ good day to you. How are you feeling today ❣️🌹
Thank you for sharing and helping the Earth!! And wallets! ♥️
I’m a long-time re-user. You shared great tips.
You can also soak some soap slivers in a large lidded jug and make outdoor plant spray ( with a re-used sprayer🤓) for bugs, for instance: roses.
Onion bags: I stuff 1 into a section of the dishwasher’s tableware caddy to keep smaller things from going through the holes, like: chopsticks. They also can be used as scrubbers for dishes.
Cut the use of paper towels (I love trees) by using a balled-up plastic shopping bag to wash/ gently scrub your sink or get grease out of a skillet. Recycling as many as possible helps the earth. Let’s face it, into every life a shopping bag comes home at some point, even if we carry re-usables.
T-shirts can be made into shopping bags. Many tutorials are on TH-cam.🤓
I’m a jar-a-holic and store leftovers in wider-mouth jars such as salsa jars, in the fridge and freezer. If the food is from a metal can, cut the label off and use a rubber band to wrap the label around the jar, *leave some food-expansion space and you have an identified frozen food for another time.
Watch Trash to Treasure videos- there’s loads of ideas.♥️
A relative did many of the things you mentioned. Her house was a cluttered mess with cabinets full of plastic yogurt, butter, etc. containers, a gross drawer with crumbs, and a full of bread bags and tags. Dozens of empty tissue boxes piled up in a corner in a bedroom, an old ice cream bucket filled with years of soap sliver all dirty and dusty in the bathroom. Just plain gross. It's called hoarding.
Well there’s a line. Let’s be real here. One needs to be smart about what to use and what to recycle. I mean come on, right?!?
Yes make t shirt quilts. Use the rest of the tshirts for rags
Those prescription medication bottles are awesome for storing things especially for traveling
Or rag rugs! For your home or a gift for the right person.
@@granitemoss1451I’ll have to TH-cam and try. Thanks
Thanks for the upright tissue boxes refill and use. Never thought of that. Go figure. lol
I do all those things !! 😊😊💗💗
My mother-in-law inspired me to collect a set of matching small canisters for bulk tea, bulk bought nuts, and raisins/dates by enjoying my favorite refrigerated and sold in the produce section blue cheese dressing. Love it's straight sides and screw on lids. I need 3 when I open the lowest by the ounce price walnuts I eat most days on my oatmeal, 1 for the cooking center, 2 in the pantry, buy next bag of refill nuts on my next weekly shopping trip..
Great tips!! Similar to cutting open the toothpaste tube, I always cut open the lotion tubes such as Bath and Body Works Body Cream. There is probably 1/5 of the lotion left in there that will not come out by squeezing. Then I keep it in a Zip Lock, or bread bag, to keep the lotion nice and moist. Great video as always!!
I re-use paper towel that has been used to mop up counter after I wash dishes. It's only soap and water. So I dry them on top of dishes which are draining and reuse. I re use the bags from bread and paper towel and toilet paper. Re use jars, gift bags etc. The tip on ends of soap bars was very cool. 😊
At the price of everything you're right. ❤
Excellent tips, loved the one about tissue boxes.
You ARE adorable 🎉🎉❤! I love your channel.
Great ideas! Here are some more. Toilet paper tubes are great for keeping long electric cords tidy. Fold the cords and tuck them in. Glass jars and lids are great for gifts. Even canning. If they reseal there are good. If not refrigerate. Two liter soda bottles are very versatile. Bird feeders, garden watering systems. A nylon stocking foot also works great for soap slivers. You know when there's a runner on the other side and you don't have a match. Cut it off above the ankle, put the soap in and just tie off the top. Gallon milk jugs with handle intact and cut the spout and part of the front out. It works for under sink storage or small toys. Odd socks can become puppets, or rice socks. My favorite newest hack from My Frugal Home is making dish scrubbies from plastic mesh bags, like those used to wrap frozen turkeys or fruits.
The heavy netted onion bags can be used as dish scrubbers and can be rinsed clean.
The toothpaste and other items in similar tubes cab be scraped out and put in those small jars like baby food jars or those gift jam jars. To put in travel bags, at your desk at work, purse, etc. Medicine pottles = travel or purse sewi g kit, 1st aide kit.
Wow.. Love the tissue tip!!
Wow!!! Great ideas!!! Thank you!
Thanks Frozen Pennies! Glad to know I am not alone in my reusing, use it up and repurposing ideas! I can't toss anything without thinking, could this come in handy again? My parents didn't preach these habits silently role modeled. 😊😊😊
Love the hints! Very useful.
Love your hairdo. So flattering!
Enjoyed your post! 👍
If you’re one of those nice people who participate in Operation Christmas Child by filling shoeboxes with small gifts for children overseas, let your friends know that you need empty boxes. Then when they buy new shoes, they will save the boxes for you to use. My daughter has filled from 47 to 75 boxed the last few years.
Wow! Got some amazing ideas from this video! Thanks!
Wow! I always learn so much from your videos!! Thank you!! 🌷
I grew up saving all sorts of containers and plastic bags and foil. My husband says he grew up poor, but never heard of saving any of these things and reusing them. It drives him nuts when I do this.
It doesn't just save money, it's environmentally friendly!
To add to the glass jar ideas, some are actual Mason jars, so you can add them to your canning jars (if you can food)
When my kids were little I used old medicine bottles for pins and needles and other small or sharp things in my sewing basket. My kids were not allowed in my sewing basket but if they did get into it they were less likely to get hurt.
Some good ideas. The only thing, solid soap bars can harbour bacteria so I'd be careful reusing them. The toilet roll/ lint trick works well for my log burner 😊 Swap parties for 2nd hand clothes are fun, environmentally friendly, and you can get a new outfit for nothing 😅
I use free Styrofoam for stamping and dry flower arrangements. It's good for all kinds of crafts. Free bubble wrap is good for crafts, too. Tina, Al's wife
for myself, clothes that are in good condition are getting donated, clothes that are on ok condition become rags, and clothes in awful condition become dog beds.
My mom always makes food for my uncle and he would lose our tuperware so we started giving him food in yogurt and sour cream containers. No need to ask for it back!
The bread ends work for stuffing or bread crumbs by putting them in a brown paper bag to dry out. No freezer taste
I love this idea! Diane
Plastic bread tags are also good for scraping off any bits of junk from non-stick pans. Used gift cards can also be used to clean non-stick pans.
Experienced quilter here. Quilting is usually an expensive hobby. Memorabilia quilts out of knit fabrics like sweatshirts and t-shirts for the top layer require a layer of stabilizer which is not cheap. Neither is the batting that goes in the middle layer of the quilt. Yardage of backing fabric (the bottom layer) is also pricey. This is not at all a money saving activity unless you already have the supplies for those layers on hand that are leftover from previous projects.
I make "summer" quilts, which have no batting. I use old but still very good sheets I buy from thrift stores for backing- and it's already a good size, and the edges are finished. I only buy fabric for toppers on deep discount. And I don't sell my quilts. I give them as gifts. I tend to use layers of fabric instead of traditional patterns, which can add to the thickness. It all depends on how a person wants to do their quilting.
I agree of the cost, which put me off when trying a "new" project. I recently made 2 rag quilts for a great niece and was happy to find flannel at a reasonable price. I even got great grandfather in the quilt, making (snipping) so he can proudly say he made it!